The Latest Social Networking Addiction: Pinterest

For some, the gateway drug was their first tweet.  For others it was the constant poking on Facebook that nagged at them until one day they realized they had become become addicted to Social Networking.  For the afflicted, every desktop, laptop and smartphone screams out at them to "use me..."  Temptation is everywhere.  Even Twitter co-founder Biz Stone recently warned against becoming addicted to his own baby, Twitter.

So Many Followers, So Little Time

Since I launched Social Networking Rehab back in August of 2007 there has been no shortage of shiny new social networking services to fuel the pangs of the addicted.  While Twitter and Facebook may remain the cocaine and heroin of the socially addictive services, just as on the dark corners of cities everywhere there is always the threat of a new, more powerful drug making its way to the streets.  It seems the latest digital drug to feed the needs of social junkies is Pinterest.  In my humble opinion it is too soon to tell if all the interest in Pinterest is well founded, or if they are riding a wave of aggressive Facebook connecting and the early adopters' seeming obsession with whatever is perceived to be "the latest" shiny new object.

Anything Further For Fodder?

Not one to let the hype go unnoticed, Pinterest seemed like a ripe subject for me to tackle for a (long overdue) new post over at www.SocialNetworkingRehab.com, where the INVITATIONS staff will happily take the necessary steps (12 or more) to help folks overcome their uncontrollable passion for pinning.  Whether you are a true pinhead or not, I thought you might enjoy this (ahem) "news" story, re-posted here with permission.  :-)   Are you addicted to Pinterest?

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Acupuncturist Takes Pinterest Too Far

(Pittsburgh, Pinsylvania) February 20, 2012.  A 47 year-old Pinsylvania man has been arrested for aggravated assault after pinning 134 photographs to the body of an unsuspecting, but very patient, patient of the Always Accurate Acupuncture Center.  The suspect, Ivan Toopoke, is a licensed acupuncturist known for pointedly practicing his profession with piercing perfection prior to this point.  This is the first time he has been stuck with charges of needling a customer the wrong way.  

The patient, who's name has been withheld thanks to the privacy settings on her Facebook account, is a regular customer of the AAAC.  She dozed off during what was to be a routine session of stress relief sticking, only to awaken on pins and needles.  According to one witness, an apprentice acupuncturist, "I walked into the exam room with a cushion full of freshly sterililized needles, and there she was, covered head to toe with pictures of kitchen appliances, shoes, pasta dishes and Ikea Furniture, pinned to her as if she was a human pin-board.  It was shocking."

The witness's reference to human pin-board was on point, as it turns out.  Investigators who confiscated Mr. Toopoke's office computer found evidence of an obsession with the popular on-line pin-board,Pinterest.  Toopoke had set up more than 750 "boards" and had personally pinned or repinned more than 150,000 images since signing up for the sticky social network six days ago.  According to Detective Dick Richardson, "it appears that Mr. Toopoke was addicted to this Pinterest thing to the point where he could no longer distinguish between digital pins and real pins.  In his mind, his brutally abusive acupuncturing of this patient was merely a means of sharing the things he loves."

When asked about the source of the 134 images pinned to the victim, Detective Richardson noted that CSI's involved in the case had photographed for evidence a large refrigerator in the Acupuncture Office that was suspiciously devoid of any cut out pictures on it, despite the presence of a large number of small magnets.  The acupuncturist Toopoke may face jail time as well as revocation of both his acupuncturist license and his Pinterest account.  He has been sent to the prominent Social Networking Rehab facility,INVITATIONS, for observation.  The victim is expected to fully recover, and has asked if she could keep several of the photos of shoes and furniture for future reference.

A spokesperson for Pinterest was not available for comment on the incident.

Thanks To Google +1 Is My New Emoticon!

In our fast paced world of micro messages and real time communication we are always looking for ways to save keystrokes and characters and express ourselves as efficiently and effectively as possible.  Hence the popularity of the simple Facebook "Like," the ease of a RT (retweet) on Twitter, and of course the almost ubiquitous smiley emoticon.  :-)  Thanks to Google I have a new favorite emoticon: +1

A Two Stroke Engine of Encouragement

This morning, as I am often wont to do, I sent out a "Good Morning" tweet to the world, but I added a simple, "Hope your day is a +1" paying homage to Google's newly announced "social" tag.  After all, it is a way to imply something positive in only two keystrokes - less than the word LIKE, or LOL and even shorter than the average emoticon.  ;-)  Almost immediately I received a +1 on my tweet from the iconic Twittizen, @Iconic88.

Soon the +1 meme began to spread and @carissaO chimed in as well and @Iconic88 cleverly suggested that Google should add a +1 button to the Android keyboard.  I say +1 to that suggestion, and I think I will continue to use +1 in my tweets to show positive encouragement.  Perhaps Google is listening and we will see a +1 coming soon to an Android device near you...

What do you think?  Do you give this blog post a +1?  Will +1 pivot its way into your daily vernacular?
 

How To Get "Get Seen!"

I first encountered the wit and charm of Steve Garfield (of SteveGarfield.com) when he was a frequent "roving reporter" for Rocketboom.  This was "back in the day" before we all had video camera's in our phones and when being a "vlogger" caused people to stop and say, "what's that???"  I first had the pleasure of meeting Steve Garfield (of SteveGarfield.com) in person in 2007 at the Portable Media Expo in Ontario California, where, as fate would have it, Steve selected me for a cameo in "Twitter: The Movie," a live exercise in video blogging during Steve's session at the conference.  Even then, Steve was sharing his vast knowledge and experience making and distributing online videos, so it is only natural he is now publishing a book on the topic. Since our first meeting in Ontario I've spent more time with Steve in person and have even written about his delightful blogging Mom.  He's the real deal - a great guy who lives and breathes creating "new media."  With that in mind, I have ordered my copy of Steve's new book, "Get Seen" and I cannot wait to read it and apply more of Steve's insights to my own dabbles in online video. 
.
According to Steve Garfield (of SteveGarfield.com) here's what's in the book:

"In addition to everything I know about choosing a camera, lighting, sound, editing, hosting, conducting interviews, making videos without a camera and going live, I've included interviews with many successful online video creators. In the book I cover connecting with viewers, smart use of metadata, creating niche content, having passion for what you are doing, uploading everywhere, and understanding distribution and marketing."

"Get Seen" is officially released today and you can order your own copy of "GET SEEN" from the Amazon Affilate link below:

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

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Is That A Phone In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Enjoying 140conf?

The state of NOW, not later, was the focus of Jeff Pulver's inspiring Los Angeles edition of his 140conf. While the inaugural 140conf in New York this summer was very clearly inspired by Twitter and the character limit of a tweet, in Hollywood the spirit of the conference was more clearly about the character of the 140 characters who took the stage over the two days. The famed Kodak Theatre was the home to 140 speakers that ranged from comedians to cancer patients, from homeless to household names, from business leaders to folks trying to give us the business. Those in attendance laughed, cried, and more importantly, connected, and brought their online lives into a real time environment. It was a thought provoking, invigorating, inspiring event, as evidenced by the continued conversation on Twitter.

My own small contribution to the event was called "Is That A Phone In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Enjoying The Show?" in which I tried to highlight both the benefits, and some of the downsides to our always on, always connected lives, thanks to our ever-present mobile devices. In a nutshell, while it is truly amazing to have instant access to our Facebook friends, our Twitter stream and virtually all of the information on the Internet in the palms of our hands, we too often "tune out" to tune in to our phones. In the end, we should make sure our constant access to "real time" information doesn't ruin our "real time" engaging with the people around us. What do you think?

Here is my short presentation, and thanks again to Jeff for welcoming me as a character at 140conf LA.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

A Picture Is Worth 140 Characters

The Twitter Economy is booming. With thousands of apps, hundreds of books, dozens of conferences and seemingly billions of self-proclaimed experts and gurus there is no shortage of information flowing about the particulars of Twitter and the inherent value of so called "micro-blogging" and "real-time communications."

Getting Real

One of the personalities at the forefront of exploring real-time and the "state of now" is my friend Jeff Pulver, among other things, the founder of the groundbreaking "140Conf" which has for many, changed the way business conferences can be approached. With a wide range of speakers (more than 100 in two days) a tremendous variety of expertise, points of view and topics will be covered, all tied together with the underlying theme of how Twitter, Real Time Communications and Social Media have created a "state of Now" that is changing the world of media, information, advertising, entertainment, charity (and perhaps more). In his own words, Jeff likens the mood and energy of 140Conf as a concert-like event:

... the #140conf event series really represents what can be best characterized as “Tech Concerts”, especially since the people who are speaking are the rock stars of their respective industry segments and in some cases really are Rock stars. The #140conf events are taking place in venues where concerts happen on a regular basis. And at the end of the day as the event creator, co-host and producer, I am trying my best to provide great days of end-to-end entertainment and engaging discussions.

I was honored to be a part of the "original" 140Conf this summer in NY and I am looking forward to being a "Character" again at the first Los Angeles 140Conf this Tuesday and Wednesday at the famed Kodak Theater.

EnVIZualize The Event!

If you want a quick, colorful and brilliantly executed look at the original #140Conf, the talented Jonny Goldstein has just published a free eBook of his delightful visualizations of the speakers and panels from the NY 140conf. The picture above is Jonny's rendition of my own presentation, "Everything I Know About Twitter I Learned In Grade School." Jonny has a real talent for capturing the essence of a discussion in single, creative image, and his eBook of 140Conf is filled with the entertaining and thought provoking highlights of the inaugural 140Conf event. You can download Jonny's book here (and I strongly encourage you to do so!). His pictures are worth way more than 140 characters or even 1,000 words, and we are fortunate he is making it so easy to share them.

If you will be at 140Conf in LA I hope to say hello. You can get more information about attending here.

Disclosure: As mentioned, Jeff Pulver is a friend, so I am biased and delighted to enthusiastically support everything he sets out to do! I am attending 140Conf LA as a "Character" and guest. Also, the link to the word "books" above is an Amazon affiliate link. So far I haven't even paid for a cup of coffee as an Amazon affiliate, but I like coffee so I will keep trying!

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

Near Death...

They recently opened a "multi-use trail" in my neighborhood. It is a cross between a sidewalk, bike path and horse trail and it has made my early morning walks far more enjoyable than my former treks up and down the local streets. However, as the trail is new, drivers are not used to it and as I learned this morning, the crosswalks can be dangerous.

Walking briskly, listening to Accident Hash on my Palm Pre, and scrolling through Twitter messages (yeah, the Pre multitasks, as do I), I saw the truck in the left turn lane in my peripheral vision and assumed he saw me. Head down, I continued across the street. Next thing I know there are bright headlights, a loud screech, a blasting horn and a shiny chrome bumper six inches from my hip. I could feel the heat off the grill of the truck.

After a few moments of heated screaming between the driver and myself inanely disputing who should have seen whom, both of us feeling guilty, both of us at fault, I turned back to my business and continued on my walk as if nothing had happened...

But something had happened. As we are so often miraculously able to do, I had avoided, by a breath, what could have been a life changing serious injury, or even death. And then I continued on with my routine as if nothing in my life had changed. And, fortunately, nothing had. We are resilient beings, us humans...

In this hectic, crazy, stress-filled, happy life we lead, we are always near death. Any given moment can be our last. Live life accordingly.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

It Doesn't Take A Village When You ARE The Village!

Becky McCray was one of my early Twitter friends and for over two years we have not only enjoyed many online exchanges but we have actually had the pleasure of meeting in the "real world" a few times. Becky is truly a delightful person and she has built a solid following and a great name for herself as a Small Business expert with her popular "Small Biz Survival" blog. Here is the part I find incredibly cool:

Becky lives in Alva, Oklahoma, population 4,848.

Becky also lives in Twitterville, and HER population there is 4,852.

That's right, Becky's personal "community" on Twitter is now larger than the entire population of the town she lives in. Every Tweet Becky sends out has the potential to inform, entertain or influence an audience that is larger than her entire home town. MUCH larger if you consider the power of re-tweeting.

Now, perhaps this is not as eye-popping as I am making it sound. Surely Ashton Kutcher can make the same claim as the 3,373,626 Twittizens that follow him far exceeds the population of Ketchum, Idaho, where I believe he often resides (population 3,234). However, Becky McCray is not one-half of a globally know Hollywood couple. Becky is a small town, small business owner, who, without Social Media, could not have dreamed of having the circle of influence and reach she now commands. Becky is one of us!

I suspect that many of the residents of Alva, Oklahoma live their whole lives without leaving and certainly without interacting with thousands of folks from cities and countries all over the world. "Social Media" has given Becky (and all of us) the opportunity to broaden our horizons and enrich our lives through a bigger community... one that has no borders and no boundaries - only bits and bytes and great people like Becky McCray to make it interesting!

It doesn't take a village... WE are the village!

Photo Credit: (cc) Shashi Bellamkonda Social Media Swami Network Solutions

It's The CAUSE, Stupid!

A couple of months ago, at the behest of Dave Delaney, a group of 18 manly men of Twitter left our pride (and in a few cases, much of our clothing) at the door and volunteered our photos for a fund-raising calendar, "The 18 Hottest Men On Twitter." While we had fun taking the photos, and blogged and tweeted about it when it first became available, very few of you responded, judging from the somewhat lackluster initial sales. When us self-proclaimed "HotMen" debriefed ourselves and questioned our poor results, it quickly became apparent that this was not about us, it was about THE CAUSE, and despite our desire to do some good, perhaps we had lost sight of that in favor of giggling at our goofy pictures.

WHY DAVE CHOSE DONORS CHOOSE

Dave is a Dad (as am I and a number of the "dudes" in the calendar - in fact, a number of us also write for "daddy blogs" such as Dad-O-Matic and Digital Dads). As parents we know that one of the most important things in our society is the education of our children. Few things, if any, are as important. Donors Choose is "an online charity connecting you to a classroom in need." It is a unique, interactive charity where public school teachers from across the country can post classroom project requests, and donors can browse or search the requests, and choose the specific project you want your donation to be applied toward. You can donate as little as $1.00 and still have the ability to decide exactly where that dollar will be spent. Even better, you can follow the progress of the project once necessary funds have been raised and know firsthand that your support has been received, applied and appreciated.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. We call it citizen philanthropy.

PLEASE CHOOSE TO HELP!

Thanks to our partners at Zazzle more than 40% of the proceeds from the sales of the Calendar will go directly to Donors Choose. PLEASE BUY 1 or 10 TO SUPPORT DONORS CHOOSE. And frankly, if you can't bear the thought of staring at one of us geeks for each of the next 18 months (yes, it is an 18 month calendar!) then skip the calendar part and just go make a donation at www.donorschoose.org.

After all, it's not about the Calendar, it is about the cause!!!

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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How 30 Apps Could Have Been A Pre-Cursor To Success, Rather Than A Curse

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not the Palm Pre is a hit and selling up to expectations. If you read this blog and follow me on Twitter you have probably gleaned that I love my Pre and think it is a spectacular device. That said, I am enormously frustrated by the lack of any new applications since its launch more than a month ago. It seems that I am compelled to check the "beta" App Catalog multiple times a day on the odd chance that finally something new will miraculously appear. (In truth, I am wishing hard that the next new app to emerge will be the Amazon Kindle app - without Orwell's 1984, of course...)

TIMING IS EVERYTHING...

At the beginning it seemed like things were on track. There were 18 apps in the catalog at launch, and within a matter of days it grew to 30 apps. Then, NOTHING. For weeks and weeks and weeks the app reservoir has been dry. Barren. APPallingly inactive. All things considered, if the Palm team were aware that the population was going to be limited only 30 apps for the foreseeable future, I think they would have been much better served by doling them out two or three a week until they were ready to open the app floodgates. Even if the total number of apps remained small I think the Pre would have maintained much more continuous momentum, and the related "buzz" and sales demand, if there had been a constant flow of new apps emerging in the catalog.

LIKE CARLY SIMON SAYS... ANTICIPATION!

Yes, buzz and demand can be created by anticipation... to a point. However, after too long a wait I believe the risk is that anticipation unfulfilled leads to frustration, or even worse, boredom, and then ultimately a lack of interest. With constant competition from the iPhone, new Blackberries, and a new Android Hero, Palm should be doing everything in its power to maintain the excitement and momentum that a steady stocking of apps would bring.

IS THE STRATEGY APPARENT?

What do you think? Is a slow steady rise more effective than a big quick launch followed by a flat line? How would you have handled the thin initial supply of apps if the Pre were your product? Have you had similar experiences or challenges with other product launches?

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Everything I Know About Twitter I Learned In Grade School

I am proud to call Jeff Pulver a friend, and as a friend, I am very proud of Jeff for the incredible 140 Characters Conference he put on at the New World Stages in New York City on June 16th and 17th. A standing room crowd witnessed a parade of 140 impassioned speakers and panelists, ranging from seasoned broadcasters such as Ann Curry to globally famous musicians such as Wyclef Jean, to internet and blogging rockstar regulars such as Chris Brogan, iJustine and Gary Vaynerchuk. It was a motley medley of thought provoking panels and presentations, and while Twitter and micro-blogging may have been the impetus for the event, the resulting discourse went much deeper than one would expect from 140 characters. As Jeff himself explains, the conference really was about "exploring the state of Now." Even if you were not in New York on June 16th and 17th you can now explore the state of now and all the content from the inaugural 140 Characters Conference as Jeff will be re-broadcasting video of the entire event on June 29th and June 30th right here.

My own contribution as a character in the conference was a short presentation I called "Everything I Know About Twitter I Learned In Grade School!" In short, in Twitter, as in Grade School, there are certain basic things that will help you to be successful:

• Give the Teacher an apple! (give of yourself)
• Hang out with the cool kids, and make friends with them...
• Listen!
• Share!
• Raise your hand in class and participate!
• Don't be a tattletale!
• Do your homework!
• Show up! (attendance counts!)

Do the above and you too can go to the head of the class and be a successful Twittizen!

The video of my entire presentation is embedded below. I'd love to hear what you think of it in the comments. Now, class dismissed!

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Keeping The Twitter Stream Safe (And Raising $$$ For A Good Cause)

As Twitter has grown in popularity, people are often trying to poke holes in the service and question its true meaning and value, trying to position those of us who tweet regularly as nothing more than a bunch of time wasting twits. Regardless of which side of the Twitter fence you straddle, one thing that has been indisputable is Twitter's effectiveness at rallying a community around a charitable cause. Tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, have been raised for a wide range of great causes, from individuals in need such as David Armano's efforts to aid a single mother, to larger scale organizations such as Charity Water. Beth Kanter, a frequent speaker on social media for non-profits, has a great overview of some of the more successful Twitter charity campaigns at her blog.

HUMOR ME WITH YOUR SUPPORT

My own efforts to support some good causes have leveraged my attempts at humor at the Social Networking Rehab Blog, where I have created video public service announcements in support of the Frozen Pea Fund to aid cancer research as well as to help Laura Fitton and her holiday "wellwishes" campaign. Naturally, when Dave Delaney contacted me about another humorous way to leverage Twitter for a good cause, I didn't hesitate to give him the shirt off my back (for him to hold while I posed as "Sasselhoff").

CALENDAR GUYS

Yes, with tongues firmly in cheek and hands held out for donations, we present the "18 Hottest Men On Twitter" Calendar to raise funds for a great cause, Donors Choose. Thanks to the cooperation of Zazzle.com, more than 40% of the proceeds of the calendar sales will go directly to support Donors Choose, a charity that connects directly with classrooms in need, providing project based support to our children in public schools. For $15.95 you can chuckle at me and 17 other chuckleheads and support a worthy cause. Please click here and buy a few today!

As Mr. July 2010, I am honored to join @saulcolt, @leelefever, @avinashkaushik, @scottmonty, @baratunde, @chrisbrogan, @keithburtis, @bobgoyetche, @jchutchins, @jasonfalls, @davedelaney, @geoffsmith, @cc_chapman, @mitchjoel, @julien, @stevenfisher, and @chrispirillo. Check us out!

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Flight 1549 And The Importance of Being Cool!

James Dean was cool. So was "the Fonz" (and by default, so is Henry Winkler). On Thursday we met 155 people who are much, much cooler. There has already been a lot written about the heroics of Pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III and the other heroes among the crew, passengers and rescuers. There has already been a lot written about the role of Twitter and citizen journalism in the early coverage of the events as they unfolded on the surface of the chilly Hudson river. As someone who casually (and at times emotionally) observed the now eponymous "Miracle on the Hudson" I want to take a moment to acknowledge a slightly different angle. Cool?

CALM, COOL AND COLLECTED

What amazed me about Flight 1549 was how cool everybody was. Moments after the flight was ditched into the Hudson the passengers were calmly gathered on the wings, seemingly walking on water, as they awaited their rescue. I can only imagine with horror how different the outcome might have been had this amazing group of individuals not kept their collective cool. What would have changed if there was panic, pushing and shoving, fear and "freaking out" rather than the orderly cooperation that, by all accounts, ensued.

THE HAPPY ENDING

There are probably many good lessons to be learned from all angles of the flight of US Airways 1549 and the perfectly executed (and thus successful) rescue operation. The lesson I am taking away from it is the importance of being cool, no matter how dire things may seem to be. This courageous crowd of strangers had the wisdom, wherewithal and good instinct to stay cool when faced with a true life or death challenge, and in the end there was a happy ending. Now that's cool!

BE COOL!

As we all face our own share of life's challenges and moments when things look like they are on the verge of falling apart we should remember the passengers, pilots and crew of Flight 1549 and just like them, stay cool. I suspect that no problem, large or small, was ever solved by stress, panic or fear. It's good to be cool!

What do you think?

Photo Credit © Oleg Ivanov - Fotolia.com

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Bitter Bloggers: The New Better Business Bureau!

Emeril Lagasse may be a famous chef, but his restaurant in Orlando, Florida SUCKS!

There, I said it, and in doing so I have joined the ranks of folks with a blog who have used their social media platforms to air complaints against companies and services that have have not held up their end of the merchant/customer bargain. I am in good company. Well read bloggers such as Joseph Jaffe and Chris Brogan have all been pushed to the brink and then used their popular platforms to blast businesses that FAIL them as customers.

Now it is my turn, and this time it's PERSONAL!

My girlfriend is taking Culinary classes at Johnson & Wales University (where my son is also a Junior) so "chef talk" is commonplace in my world, and we like to check out well-known chefs and restaurants whenever we have the opportunity. With that in mind, since we were spending Christmas at Disneyworld in Orlando and we had never been to one of Emeril's restaurants, I made reservations for Christmas dinner at Emeril's Orlando. What should have been a pleasant and enjoyable evening turned into a culinary catastrophe that left us hungry and disappointed.

Service With A Smile?

All started well, with the Maitre'd seating us and the THREE "servers" who would be our caretakers for the meal pleasantly and professionally introducing themselves to us. Despite having THREE servers at our beck and call, Emeril's Orlando managed to do something that I have never experienced in my entire life of dining. Yes, folks, I am not a picky person at all, but this was truly a first (and the last time we will eat at an "Emeril" establishment).

I am a vegetarian and often end up ordering "off the menu" if there is no vegetarian entree choice. This is rarely an issue and, as expected, the waiter confirmed that the chef would be happy to prepare a grilled vegetable plate for me. Perfect. My girlfriend, who is most decidedly NOT a vegetarian, happily ordered from the menu - a ravioli dish. We enjoyed our wine and salads, and noted that the wait for our entrees had seemed to cross the line into the territory of "taking a bit too long" but hey, it was Christmas and we were certainly not in any rush.

The Order and the Disorder...

When our food finally did arrive, it arrived with this shocker: they did not have the ravioli Sue had ordered (FROM THE MENU) so they had taken it upon themselves to go ahead and prepare an alternate dish for her. WTF? With no warning, and no opportunity to simply choose something else from the menu they decided to serve her a meal that had no relation whatsoever to what she had ordered. The "substitute" dish was a poorly presented slap-dash mix of flat ribbon noodles, some grilled vegetables (that were likely stolen from my vegetable plate) and a thin veil of plain tasting tomato sauce. Huh?

One of our three servers explained that they ran out of the ravioli she had ordered and she should "taste" this dish and if she didn't like it she could order something else. Huh??? Now, with my food already served and her "surprise" dish in front of her, Sue could decide to wait another half hour for something else, so that she and I could effectively dine alone, me eating while she is waiting, and she eating while I digest... But I digress...

From Minor Error to Major Fail

Needless to say, Sue did not like the odd off-menu choice that had been made on her behalf, nor did she care to watch me eat while she waited for something else. The apologetic spokesman for the restaurant appeared to be the one of our three servers who, sadly, had a speech impediment that was getting worse by the minute due to his nervousness. As he spit, sputtered and stuttered his embarrassment at the mistake (I am NOT exaggerating) and offered to remove the cost of the unwanted entree from our bill, we assured him it was not his fault (though, of course, in part it was). Despite our very vocal dismay, none of the on duty management visited our table, and we had to go to the front desk twice to air our complaint to the same Maitre'd who had so nicely seated us, and who claimed to be one of the managers. He was useless, and offered no explanation or excuse, and simply said, "we took your entrees off the bill, what else do you want me to do?" MAJOR FAIL. You are supposed to make us feel like a valued customer.

What we wanted, was a decent enjoyable meal. One that, in fact, we were well willing to "overpay for" (based on other folks' reviews of Emeril's). Not paying for something we did not eat and did not enjoy (or even ask for) is hardly a substitute.

What Happens Anywhere... Ends Up On Twitter!

So, we paid for our wine and salads, and left Emeril's Orlando hungry and wholly disappointed. In the old days, that would have been the end of it. Instead, standing outside the restaurant I began my blogger's revenge with this simple Tweet.





And now I am following up my Tweet with this blog post. If in doing so, I have saved one person from having a similar dining disaster, then my work here is done. Thanks for reading, and for letting me vent.

What do you think? Is one's personal blog a valid place to air such complaints? Is the "Bitter Blogger Bureau" the new "Better Business Bureau"? Should it be? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and of course, if you have your own Emeril's experience or opinion, please share that as well.

Photo Credit: © Hugh O'Neill - Fotolia.com

2B or nt 2B? Micro-Blogging vs. Micro-Shakespeare

They say Twitter has started a "micro-blogging" and "micro-sharing" craze. Millions of tweeple have reduced their social networking conversations to short bursts of 140 characters, in many cases in lieu of more frequent long form writing. If you can reduce blogging by such dramatic proportions, why not some of the most famous theatrical works in the English language?

THE PLAY'S THE THING

In the spirit of keeping things short and sweet, last night I had the pleasure of seeing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare performed in a mere 97 minutes, thanks to the manic miniaturization skills and gigantic talents of the Reduced Shakespeare Company. To see 37 plays performed in 97 minutes (plus some sonnets and poetry thrown in as an extra Measure for Measure) was an hysterical evening of live, interactive entertainment. I highly recommend it for scholars of the Bard as well as aficionados of the abbreviated.

As an example of "micro-Shakespeare" here is the classic tragedy MACBETH, as performed by the RSC in less time than it takes to boil an egg. Enjoy!



Have you had a chance to see The Reduced Shakespeare Company perform? Leave a SHORT comment and let me know what you think!

I Can Tweet That Tune in 12 Seconds!

INTRODUCING TWEET THAT TUNE!

Ever since I joined Twitter in March of 2007 I have been experimenting with ways to use it both for my own personal edification as well as for business. From early experimentation with Daily Haiku poetry, to the launch of TwitTones, offering daily free ringtones delivered by Twitter (courtesy of Myxer), I have been looking for creative ways to establish a daily content ritual with Twitter.

THE GAME'S THE THING

With that in mind I am pleased to introduce Tweet That Tune. By leveraging the ease and simplicity of 12seconds.tv and Twitter we can have a little fun trying to identify a song from a 12 second video with the song playing in the background. It's easy to play. Every day (hopefully), I will Tweet a link to a 12seconds.tv video. Then you can Tweet your guess as to the name of the song and the artist (please add #TweetThatTune to the message for tracking.) The first person who Tweets the right tune wins! Right now all the "winner" gets is the satisfaction of being right and being first. Perhaps we can round up some real prizes in the future.

For more information and to follow the action please visit www.TweetThatTune.com.

What do you think? Does it sound like fun? Any suggestions?

As an example, here is today's Tweet That Tune:


Can U Name the song? Tweet your guess with #TweetThatTune Answer posted at 10am. on 12seconds.tv

A Cold Beer Is Better Than A Cold Call!

I don't know about you, but I hate making cold calls. I do it when I have to, and I'm actually not bad at it, but I hate it nonetheless. The good news is that Social Media gives us the tools to avoid ever having to make another cold call. Used properly and creatively, the information flow and personal data available via Social Networks is invaluable for business development. As a self-professed Social Media "addict" I work hard to put my addiction to good use for my business. Here is one of many examples of how I have used Twitter and other tools to build a worthwhile business opportunity.

TRACKING DOWN AN EBEL GENIUS

I work at Myxer, and we provide an outstanding platform and large audience for content creators who want to reach their fans with mobile entertainment. Tens of thousands of Indie bands and artists use our free service to create and share ringtones of their music with their fans. I am also an avid podcast listener, and through podcasting I became a fan of the talented musician Matthew Ebel whose music was frequently featured on podcasts I listen to regularly including Adam Curry's Daily Source Code and CC Chapman's Accident Hash. A while ago, I thought it would be great to get Matthew and his music on Myxer and started looking for ways to reach out to him. Then I saw this Tweet from CC Chapman flow by on my Twitter stream:

PUTTING THE "PAL" IN PAYPAL

I had some interactions with CC on Twitter before, so on a whim I decided to see if I could use CC to get an introduction to Matthew. Using PayPal, I sent $10.00 to CC Chapman with a note saying something along the lines of "if you can introduce me to Matthew the first beer's on me!" It worked! Soon I saw this Tweet from CC:

FROM BEER TO BUSINESS

Shortly thereafter I was able to exchange emails with Matthew, thanks to CC, and so a connection was born. Over time, we did indeed get Matthew's great music on Myxer. In fact, this past summer we participated in a fun and timely experiment with him by sponsoring his Electric Bicycle project on Block Island, dubbed the MyxerCycle. To memorialize his electric bike project, Matthew put together a great 5 part video series about the MyxerCycle which you can see here.

I hope this helps quench your thirst for some examples of using Social Media for business and, at least in this case, proves that a "Cold Beer call" is much better than a Cold Call!

If you have never had the chance to see or hear Matthew Ebel, here is a fan-created Music Video (and link to a free Ringtone) of his popular song "Drive Away" from his aptly titled, "BEER & Coffee" CD. Cheers!

More from Matthew Ebel at Myxer

Beer Glass Photo Credit: Okea - Fotolia.com

Learn Baby Learn: Turn Your Social Media Addiction Into An Asset

They say it is a jungle out there, but this past week the jungle was in Melville, NY. Specifically, Jeff Pulver's first ever Social Media Jungle was held on November 13th, and I was fortunate to be one of the 50 or so participants and one of the 15 discussion leaders. I am careful to say "participants" rather than "attendees" as this event was unlike a typical conference. Everyone in the room actively contributed to the discussions inspired by each presentation. The day was thick with rich content and thought provoking questions and answers. I am honored to have shared the floor with the other presenters including Jeff Pulver, Chris Brogan, Jeremy Epstein, Leslie Poston, Howard Greenstein & Dean Landsman, Nelly Yusupova, Brett Petersel & Oz Sultan, Steve Lubetkin, Jonathan Yarmis, Ben Grossman, Jamie Thompson, and Justin Oberman. Kudos to Jeff for organizing a very special event, and congrats to Jeff for already landing a commitment to hold a second Social Media Jungle event at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2009!

LEARN BABY LEARN

As someone who is arguably addicted to Social Media, in my presentation I tried to give a real world example of how I use my Social Media addiction (specifically to Twitter) as an asset to the benefit of the company where I work, Myxer. I break the essence of using Social Media for Business into 5 key actions represented by the word L E A R N.

L: Listen. Social Media provides you with the tools to be the ultimate eavesdropper and be a fly on the wall to virtually thousands of conversations. What should you listen for? Your name, your company, your product, your industry.

E: Engage. Social Media provides you with the tools not just to listen, but to easily step into a conversation and engage with strangers. With that in mind, you must be REAL and be OPEN.

A: Accept. Now that you have listened and engaged, you need to accept what is being said about you, your brand, your company, your product. Take the feedback to heart because to the world at large, their perception is their reality, whether you agree with it or not.

R: React. What you do next is important. Are you going to be defensive or helpful? Remember, just as you started your Social Media exchange as a fly on the wall, there are others now listening to you, and seeing how you engage with your "followers."

N: Nurture. Social Media is all about relationship building. That first random encounter can, over time, become a valuable and rewarding relationship. Nurture your Social Media connections and you will build an army of evangelists for you, your brand, your product, your company, etc.

Thanks to Sanford Dickert, you can see a video of the entire presentation below. I have also posted the slides on Slideshare.

How have you turned your Social Media Addiction into an asset? Please share your view in the comments.



Blocks Photo Credit: Heath Doman - Fotolia.com

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It's A (Social Media) Jungle Out There!

This morning I had the pleasure of shooting the breeze over bagels with Jeff Pulver. Among many other accomplishments, Jeff has recently made a name for himself as the host of more than 30 breakfasts in 17 cities around the world this year. Although he has thousands of followers on Social Networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Jeff has cleverly brought the engagement and interactivity of "tagging," "poking" and "writing on one's wall" to the off-line "real" world at his live breakfast events.

Today it was just us Jeffs so we dispensed with the need for name tags (especially since they both would have said "Jeff") and we dove right into a healthy discussion about life, liberty and the pursuit of social media happiness.

Jeff is planning his first "SOCIAL MEDIA JUNGLE" event in Melville, Long Island in November and I asked him to talk a little about why it is a jungle out there and how his events can help us on our own expeditions.



What do you think? Do you need to be Tarzan to succeed in the Social Media Jungle?

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Love Thy Neighbor

When I discovered Podcasting in 2004 I was immediately hooked. When I discovered Podcast fiction I was addicted. I was in on Scott Sigler's EARTHCORE from the very first episode, and not only have I listened like a good Junkie to every episode of every podcast novel he has so brilliantly spewed forth, I have gone on to become good friends with Scott. I have been fortunate to meet many of the Podcast novelists whose work I admire, including Seth Harwood ("Jack Wakes Up"), Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff ("Number One With A Bullet", "Shadow Falls", "Diary of a Madman"), Tee Morris ("Morevi") and the inspiration for this blog post: creator of the uber popular "7th Son" Trilogy, J.C. Hutchins.

I first heard of "7th Son" when a promo ran during one of Scott Sigler's podcasts (I can't recall if it was ANCESTOR, INFECTION, or THE ROOKIE - you should listen to them all to check). I listened to all three 7th Son novels and was a fan of J.C.'s clonederful stories when, as fate would have it, he responded to a recruitment ad I posted on Twitter and YouTube. As a result, J.C. and I now work together at Myxer. (You can read more about that here.)

I am truly inspired by the creativity and great work these talented writers put together and offer to the world for free. On many occasions I have dusted off something I have written and contemplated turning it into a podcast novel of my own, but I've never gotten off my procrastinating butt to do so. Until now...

J.C. Hutchins has launched a ground breaking creative project with his "7th Son: Obsidian" series. He has extended the fictional world he created in the 7th Son trilogy by inviting other authors, podcasters and fans to create content based on a particular event in 7th Son - A nationwide blackout. In J.C.'s words: "On November 19, 2007, the U.S. suffered a coordinated terrorist attack, and was plunged into a nationwide blackout. The country devolved into chaos..."

When J.C. introduced his "Obsidian" project it lit a flame deep inside me, and a story started to brew. The sleeping wordsmith in the dark corners of my brain had been awakened. The result is a short story called "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR," which I recorded as my very first attempt at Podcast fiction.

I am honored and delighted that J.C. thought LOVE THY NEIGHBOR was worthy of being a part of his 7th Son Obsidian project. I hope you will listen to it and let me know what you think in the comments below. (P.S. there ARE some of George Carlin's 7 dirty words in LOVE THY NEIGHBOR)

Here is J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son Obsidian presentation of LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

CLICK TO LISTEN TO "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR"

(P.P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog, please subscribe via RSS or EMAIL in the sidebar above)

UPDATE: I am flattered by this great review of LOVE THY NEIGHBOR on the Time Well Wasted blog. Thanks Gemini!

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Thoroughly Modern Millie!

Image via WikipediaAhhh, technology! As a serious "gadget geek" who is old enough to remember when there was no such thing as a personal computer on every desk or lap, I am a firm believer that technology has no age boundaries. When I look at generations older than my own I can see how those "seniors" who embrace technology are invigorated, connected, and live more enriched and enlightened lives. How can they not? How can it not be better in your retirement years to have the world at your fingertips from the comfort of your PC? How can it not be better to spend your golden years just a mouse click away from all the knowledge, places, and people you could ever dream of reading, seeing or reaching out and touching.

STEVE'S MOM'S BLOG...

With that in mind I was thrilled to see popular vlogger Steve Garfield proudly touting his mom's appearance tonight on ABC World News. Seeing popular blogger Millie Garfield, at age 82, talking with passion and enthusiasm about her blog, and Flickr, Twitter, community and "googling" was a delight and perhaps the best imaginable endorsement of blogging and so called social media. No wonder Steve is always plugging "My Mom's Blog." It is great, and so is she.

MAY I HAVE THE ENVELOPE PLEASE...

Seeing this thoroughly modern Millie also made me think of my own Dad, who, at almost 73, is as addicted to his Blackberry as anyone I know and who doesn't go anywhere without his iPod and Laptop. I am also reminded that the more things change, the more they remain the same. When I was in college, my Dad used to send me big Manila envelopes filled with Xerox copies of pages and pages of stupid jokes. Today, he still sends me the stupid jokes... but now it is by email.

So thanks, Dad, for the stupid jokes (and for being a tech savvy senior). And thanks Millie, for being a blogger and an inspiration!

Are the seniors in your life "connected"?

Here is Steve's "behind the scenes" video of his Mom's ABC World News interview.

Click To Play